Truck.



No. 779,215. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. C. H. GALE.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1904.

Z'SHBETS-SHEET 1.

No. 779,215. l PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. C. H. GALE.

TRUCK.

AlPLIGATIoN :FILED APR. 9, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@M1/MW' @y fifa Ivey.

Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. GALE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,215, dated January8, 1905.

Application filed April 9, 1904. Serial No. 202,306.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. GALE, a citi- .zen of the United States,residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Trucks; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to a novel construction in a truck for handlingheavy freight, which is particularly adapted for use in loading andunloading cars, &c., the object being to provide a truck by means ofwhich heavy boxes and bales, &c., can be raised by the truckman and thetruck easily inserted below the same; and it consists in the features ofconstruction andv combinations of parts hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is acentral longitudinal section of a truck constructed in accordance withmy invention, showing the same in position to pick up a box or the like.2 is a plan section of same on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is asection similar to Fig. 1, showing the truck inserted underneath the boxor bale. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the means forrotating the windlass on said truck. 4

In handling heavy pieces of freight it is almost impossible for atruckmau to properly handle the truck to take up a heavy box or package,it being usually necessary for him to block his truck and then by meansof his freight-hook partially raise the end of the box or package whichhe desires to remove and drag same upon the front end or nose-plate ofthe truck. This involves exceedingly hard labor and not infrequently itrequires two or three men to place a package on the truck. It notinfrequently happens that in attempting to so shift a heavy weight atruckman ruptures or strains himself, and when several men are requiredto place such package on a truck a great deal of loss of time andunnecessary hard labor is involved.

My present invention has for its object to provide an attachment for thetruck by means of which heavy packages may be readily raised therequisite distance by the truckman, and while such package is held inits raised position the truck may be inserted underneath the raised edgeor end of such package and the latter then readily tilted over, so as torest upon said truck.

A further particular object of my said device is to enable such weightto be lifted by pressure of the foot of the truckman, thus leaving hishands free to operate the truck while holding such package in its raisedposition.

To this and other ends my invention comprises a truck A of ordinaryconstruction, having the nose-plate B at its forward end, the latterbeing of ordinary construction and mounted in the usual manner. Securedat their forward ends to said nose-plate B and at their rear ends tocross-bar C of the truck by means of the'brazket D are two arms E,connected together at their rear ends by means of cross-bar F. The saidarms E form a guide for the projection Gr of the axle H of a pair ofwheels J, the said axle being rigidly mounted adjacent its ends in themembers K of a frame forming part of afoot-lever, by means of which thepackage is adapted to be tilted in order to insert the nose-plate B ofthe truck underneath the same. The said members K are connected togetherat their rear ends by means of a cross-bar L, and to the latter two armsM are pivotally secured, which are in turn connected together at theirrear ends by means of cross-piece N, said arms M being partially cutaway at their forward ends and adapted to engage stops O on said arms Kto hold said arms M against pivotal movement in one direction. Mountedon said cross-bar L is a projection I), which is connected, by means ofa spring Q, with the cross-bar R of the truck. Secured to said cross-barC of said truck is a hook S, which extends rearwardly therefrom and isadapted to receive said cross-bar L when the latter reaches the forwardlimit of its movement, said spring Q serving to raise the said frameforming said foot-lever, and thus hold said cross-bar in engagement withsaid hook.

Mounted on said projection G of axle H is a frame T, which is taperedtoward its free IOO end, and the extreme free end of which is oifsetdownwardly, as at U, and sharpened, so as to enable it to be insei'tcdbetween the iioor and the package to be transported or to be forced intothe wood or other covering of the package, and thus enable the same tobe raised. The said free end U of said frameT is adapted to projectbeyond the forward edge of said nose-guard B and also lower than thesame.

At its forward end portion I provide said truck with a windlasscomprising a shaft journaled in suitable bearing's of said truck andcarrying a winding-drum V, upon which the cable W to which the hook X issecured is attached. At each end of said shaft is a ratchet-wheel Y, oneof which is adapted to be eng'aged by the dog on the hand-lever Z andthe other of which is eng'aged by a springactuated dog Q7, the latterbeing adapted to be turned and held out of engagement with said ratchetby means of the lever 28.

The Aoperation of my device is as follows: Assuming that 29 represents aheavy box to be transported, the frame forming the footlever which ispivotally mounted and supported on said wheels J is moved to the forwardlimit of its movement relatively to said truck and the cross-bar Lthereof` held in engagement with said hook S by means of said spring Q.It will be noted that in this position the rear end of the frame israised from the floor and the free end portion U of the arm T isdepressed, so that it can be made to glide along the iioor. While inthis position the truckman moves his truck rapidly forward so as tocause said end U to force its way between the floor and the bottom ofthe box Q9 or to embed itself therein adjacent the iioor, the said arm Tand foot-lever being held by said hook S against rearward movementrelatively to said truck. By now placing his feet on his cross-bar Nthetruckman depresses the rear end of said foot-lever, there by turningthe same on its pivot, and thereby raising the said arm T, and thustilting' said box, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. The truckbeing free to move relatively to said foot-lever is now moved forward,so that the nose-plate thereof projects underneath said box, and thelatter is then let down upon said nose-plate, said hook being' readilywithdrawn therefrom and passing' between said arms E out of engagementwith said box, as shown in Fig. 3. The said hook X is` now inserted overthe farthest upper edge of said box 29 and by means of said windlass thesaid truck is drawn up to a substantially vertical position beside saidbox, and the latter is then pulled over on said truck by drawing' theupper end of the latter rearward.

As it may be desired to drop the rear end of the truck so that thelatter is substantially horizontal, it is essential that said foot-leverbe collapsible between its ends so as not to interfere with thisposition of said truck, and

to this end said arms M are pivoted to -said members K, as beforedescribed. In order to maintain said arms M and cross-piece N normallyat the upper limit of their movement, I provide a spring' 30, connectingsaid crosspiece N with said cross-piece R of the truck, said springbeing adapted when said foot-lever reaches the rearward limit of itsmoven ment to draw up said arms M, thus maintaining same out of the wayof the truckmans feet and permitting the truck to be handled as desired.

By means of my said device the average truckman is enabled to handlewith ease boxes and packages which ordinarily are very difiicult for twoor three men to handle and prevents straining of muscles and cords,besides saving time and labor.

I desire to call particular attention to the fact that the mostessential feature of my invention consists in providing what may betermed a "lifting-jack which while carried by the truck is operableentirely independently of the latter, it being' absolutely essentialthat the said lifting device and the truck be capable of free movementrelatively to each other, it being obvious thatif said truck should bearany part of the weight as the latter is raised such weight would bindsaid truck against movement and would thereby prevent the insertion ofsaid nose-plate underneath the box or package. The grappling means, suchas the windlass and hook, are also absolutely essen tial, as in theabsence thereof great difficulty would be experienced in throwing thebox over upon the truck after the nose-plate has been inserted. It willbe obvious that when said truck is drawn over to a practically verticalposition and the wheels thereof raised from the ground great leverage isprovided for successfully tilting said weight backward with said truck,and thus receiving same upon said truck.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a truck, of anindependently-operable lever cari'ied thereby and supported at itsfulcrum on the floor when in position to be operated, said leverbeinglongitudinally movable relatively to the truck, and one end being'adapted to be projected beyond the nose-plate of the truck to engage andraise the package to be transported, said lever being adapted to supportsaid package in its raised position while the truck is moved relativelyto said lever to insert the nose-plate thereof under said package.

2. The combination with a truck, of a lever carried thereby, said leverbeing movable longitudinally and pivotally independently of said truckand fulcrumed between its ends, Ythe fulcruin thereof being supportedupon the floor when said lever is in position to be operated, one end ofsaid lever being adapted to be projected beyond the nose-plate of the.truck to engage and raise one end of the package and IOS TIO

support the latter while the truck is moved relatively to saidlever toinsert said nose-plate underneath said package to receive the latter.

3. The combination with a truck, of a lever carried thereby, said leverbeing supported between its ends upon rollers movable on the ioor whenthe truck is brought into position to receive a package, one end of saidlever being adapted to be projected beyond the noseplate of the truck toengage and raise one end of the package and support the latter while thetruck is moved relatively to said lever to insert said nose-plateunderneath said package to receive the latter.

4. The combination with a truck, of an independently operable levercarried thereby and movable longitudinally and pivotally relativelythereto, one end of said lever being adapted to project beyond thenose-plate of the truck and engage the package to be raised, wheelsresting on the Hoor and supporting said lever between its endsindependently of the truck and forming the fulcrum thereof, and a stopon said truck disposed in the path of a part of said lever to hold sameagainst movement in one direction relatively thereto.

5. The combination with a truck, of an independently-operable levercarried thereby and movable longitudinally and pivotally relativel ythereto, 'said lever being fulcrumed between its ends andsupportedindependently of said truck, said lever having a pointed endadapted to project beyond the nose-plate of the truck to engage thepackage to be transported to raise the same.

6. The combination with a truck, of independently-operable means carriedthereby and movable longitudinally and pivotally relatively thereto forengaging and raising the package to be transported, said means includinga lever fulcrumed between its ends, said fulcrum being adapted to besupported on the floor independently of said truck and the latter beingmovable relatively to said lever.

7. The combination with a truck, of an independently-operable levercarried thereby and movable pivotally and longitudinally relativelythereto and adapted to project at one end beyond the nose-plate of saidtruck, said lever being fulcrumed between its ends and the fulcrumsthereof supported upon the floor independently of said truck, and a stopon said truck engaging said lever to hold same against longitudinalmovement relatively to said truck in one direction, the latter beingmovable relatively to said lever when the latter supports the load.

8. The combination with a truck, of an independently-operable foot-levercarried thereby and movable relatively thereto, said level.l beingfulcrumed between its ends and the fulcrum thereof adapted to besupported upon the floor independently of said truck, one end of saidlever comprising a sharp tongue adapted to project beyond the nose-plateof said truck when said lever is at one limit of its movement relativelyto said truck, a stop on said truck adapted to engage said lever to holdsame against rearward movement, and a spring' engaging the rear endportion of said lever for raising same to engage said stop anddepressing the sharp tongue at the other end thereof, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination with a truck, of anindependently-operablerelatively-movable footlev er carried thereby,said foot-lever being pivotally mounted between its ends upon wheelsadapted to rest upon the floor when said lever is operated, a sharptongue on said lever at one end adapted to project beyond the nose-plateof the truck when said lever is at the forward limit of its movement, astop on said truck adapted to engage said lever to hold same at theforward limit of its movement, a spring engaging the rear end portion ofsaid lever to raise the same and hold same in engagement with said stop,and an extention member pivotally secured to the rear end of said lever.

10. rlhe combination with a truck, of anindependently-operablerelatively-movable footlever carried thereby, saidfoot-lever being pivotally mounted between its ends upon wheels adaptedto rest upon the floor when said lever is operated, a sharp tongue onsaid lever at one end adapted to project beyond the nose-plate of thetruck when said lever is at the forward limit of its movement, a stop onsaid truck adapted to engage said lever to hold same at the forwardlimit of its movement, a spring engaging the rear end portion of saidlever to raise the same and hold same in engagement with said stop, anextension member pivotally secured to said lever at its rear end, and aspring on said truck engaging said extension member at its free end tonormally hold same turned up, substantially as Witnesses:

RUDOLPH Wu. Lo'rz, F. SoHLoTFELD.

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